Acknowledging Mexico’s border communities as crime victims

Lawlessness is by far the gravest concern of communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. The criminal class operates indiscriminately and with impunity. It has supplanted the legitimate government in some regions and has caused the citizens to flee, similar to other refugees in a war zone. Even without the drug trade, roving gangs would continue to terrorize the citizens with kidnapping, extortion, criminal confiscation, theft, and quite literally highway robbery.

Many residents of the border cannot fathom others are unaware and unwilling to acknowledge their plight, particularly the Mexican border residents. The geographic distance, the unique culture and the silence from the border communities all contribute to the reality of the borderlands not being effectively communicated to policymakers in Mexico City and Washington, D.C., and translated into more effective policy.

I explore these issues in my new research paper, “Speaking Frankly: Voices from the Borderlands –The Mexican Citizens Speak.” As I discuss in my paper, Mexico’s current challenges result from a confluence of many factors — political, economic and social. To find solutions, as with a patient, the country must not only be stabilized in the short term, but long-term strategies must be developed and implemented for future health. Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s heroic efforts have shown some effectiveness in the short run and should continue to be supported, but now is the time to develop long-range planning as well.

When crafting solutions, local citizens are an integral part. The silencing of the border voices — whether due to intimidation, self-censorship, fear of repercussions, and/or political pressure — has removed the local stakeholders from the discussions. Perhaps the time has come to give the local stakeholders a leading role in the process.

Each day brings new reports of violence on the border. Last week, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata was killed in San Luis Potosi in Mexico. Reportedly, he and another agent were being chased, thought they were fleeing to a police checkpoint on the highway, identified themselves as U.S. agents, and were shot by members of the Zetas who, in fact, had set up the road block. A similar scenario played out for missionary Nancy Davis and her husband in Tamaulipas last month, leaving Mrs. Davis dead. The media is reporting that this will be a “game changer.” Residents of the borderlands may well have their doubts. Efforts thus far are often seen as insufficient and/or ineffective. Mexico’s citizens, with anguish, are watching as their world slips away.

Joan Neuhaus Schaan is the fellow in homeland security and terrorism at the Baker Institute, coordinator of the Texas Security Forum, and serves on the advisory board of the Transborder International Police Association. She has served as the executive director of the Houston-Harris County Regional Homeland Security Advisory Council and on the board of Crime Stoppers of Houston, Inc.